'I'm glad to meet you'

HANOI: Communication is a challenging barrier, as very few Vietnamese speak English.

On Sunday, local cycling supporters flocked the Hanoi-Bac Ninh highway, where the Individual Time Trial was being held.

Schoolchildren with their familiar white caps dominated the fray, with laughter and cheers in anticipation of the competition to start.

"Where are you from?" asked a girl about 10 years old, with a merry, smiling face. When asked her name, she said something that sounded like "Linh".

"I'm glad to meet you," she said. Nguyen Nhu Mai, an English student who joined the SEA Games as a volunteer liaison officer, said English languages studies starts at junior high school.

Many Vietnamese parents, however, opt to send their children to English language courses at a younger age. -- JP